The sunken city of WetDry World
by Dancing Mask
Summary: Mario discovers a new world, and a new friend.


Disclaimer: I don't own Mario, the character, games, or artwork, this is just a humble fanfiction.

Mario leaped through the painting, with no idea what to expect. The oil had simply shown an odd, circular blue creature, with what looked like water behind it. Well, only one way to find out...

He landed heavily on brick, rubbing his side. Mario breathed out, standing to look, when a large purple monster ran at him! He spun to the side, barely avoiding its arms. He remembered this thing from Tall-tall Mountain, and how it had thrown him off a cliff, nearly killing him... He jumped backwards, barely avoiding it again, as he felt the ground behind him- or more accurately, lack of it. With one foot dangling in mid-air, he realized he was on top of some kind building, with no way to get behind the monster and attack it! The plumber swerved to the side, trying to avoid its next lunge, free-falling in the air as he did so. Everything spun... then, with a splash, he sunk rapidly through water, before bouncing off a marble sea floor. Dazed, he drifted to the surface, breathing heavily. Just as he caught his breath, he sank again, something attacking him from above! Mario struggled, that large, blue, thing from the painting clamping down on him with its spindly legs, forcing his head under the surface. He kicked out, pressing its body into a floating platform, knocking it into the wood. It cried out, retreating across the water.

Mario panted, climbing on the wood, hoping there were no more surprises waiting. He looked around, noticing a confusing jumble of brick and stone, forming a crude tower in front of him. Small machines and enemies whirred along it, while water surrounded the area. Floating wooden platforms drifted, along with the gliding blue creature that had assaulted him just recently, making the water just another pathway, to various stone structures. What exactly was this place?

The Sunken City of Wet-Dry World

Mario ran across the wooden platforms, avoiding bursts of fire from the traps set there. Another trap, a buzzing electric ball that circled the end, swept past him, as he leaped to the next stone structure. He had no way of reaching the main tower, but his only hunch for exploring this world- and finding its power stars- lay in looking from the top, gaining a better view of this strange world. He climbed stone steps, that seemed to jut out from the water to nowhere, and noticed a strange diamond on the last step. It was multi colored, and seemed to hum a little. What did it do, he wondered? Mario raised his hand, to pick it up, when his hand passed right through it. With a shocked noise, he stepped backwards, even as the water rose to reach him. He floated in the water now, amazed... The entire water level of this world had risen to reach that diamond! He looked around, noticing another one up ahead, and realized; the inhabitants of this world had somehow managed to freely control the water level. Such amazing technology... it seemed impossible to him, more like magic. The Italian hero kicked forward, reaching a wooden platform that had risen with the water. Now, it led somewhere, pointing towards a strange stone structure to the side of the tower. He looked carefully, noticing small blocks just above his head height, that he needed to use to reach that point. Hopefully, there was another water-control diamond up there, which would be high enough for him to reach the tower.

Well, here goes... Mario pulled with both hands, swinging up to the first block. Immediately, it began to slide across, in the direction of the arrow painted on its side. He swayed as he tried to stand, remembering a similar trap in Hazy-Maze cave. Well, a trap from Bowser meant he must be heading in the right way, after all. He jumped from the block, just making it to the next one, which suddenly went backwards. Mario grabbed on with his hands, barely staying on after his leaping momentum. The block eventually curved, going past the next one, which he landed on with ease. Mario grinned, stepping on the fourth block, starting to get the hang of it. Unfortunately, this one sped right up, nearly knocking him into the water. Mario flew past the next block, jumping late and just grabbing hold. This block began to slide across, sending him swaying, as he just managed to stay on. He was so preoccupied with staying on; he didn't even notice the buzzing ball, which slammed right into him, shocking his body with electricity. Mario howled, as he just managed to land on the next block. Only two to go... He gritted his teeth, avoiding the next ball now that he was ready. He leaped across to the penultimate block, jumping again the moment he landed, triple-jumping past the final one, to the top of the stone building. Mario spun through the air, landing on his feet perfectly, as he saw what waited him. Grinning, he accepted the first power star of this world, before looking on.

The tower was to his left now, so close but unattainable all the same. He saw a giant cage in front of him, running right along the wall, ridiculously high. It didn't look like he could reach it, seeing as it stood higher than anything else inside this area... Another cage, similar but lower stretched across the side of the tower, he noticed. As he planned his next move, Mario barely noticed the trap, another small ball that shot flames out at him. He jumped forward, barely avoiding them, before landing in the water again. Great. He sighed, pulling his damp hair out of his eyes and under his cap, before plunging forward.

Underneath him, Mario noticed another strange diamond, hovering at floor-height. Well, it couldn't hurt to try, so he swum down, and passed through it. Like he had figured, the water level slowly crashed down, ending when there was just an inch or two left in the water height. Where did the water go, he wondered. Mario set forward, shivering slightly in his damp overalls, headed towards the smaller cage. He broke open a cork block that had been plugging a gap in the side, realizing that would have stood up to any attack in the water. Looking up, he noticed it led the entire way up to the side of the tower, with a small opening on the side. The opening was lower than the sides he had seen, and he might be able to reach it if he raised the water back to where it was before... He wall jumped up a few feet, trying to get a better view. It seemed about the right height, although it was hard to judge- the cage was terrible for supporting his weight, and he had been unable to jump very high.

Mario set off for one of those water-control diamonds, spying the blue, spider-thing again. It was glaring at him from around the corner of some stone, keeping an eye on him. Mario let it stay that way, unwilling to hurt it unless necessary. He reached the stone steps, re-raising the water, before checking the elevator. He swam down, passing through the opening he had created, and kicked upward, before realizing the flaw in his plan- he was already out of breath from reaching this far. Mario kicked furiously, his lungs burning, as stars started to cross his vision- and not the good kind. Just as he felt he couldn't go any further, he broke the surface, panting heavily. He lay on the surface for a few minutes, catching his breath, before looking around. He was now on a level of the tower, which seemed to have little on it. Stone floors and brick walls, and a blue coin deposit was all he could see. He slammed down on the pad, grabbing the coins, as Mario felt his energy returning. As he reached for the last one, he heard a mechanical whirring noise behind him, as a clockwork-robot rounded the corner, attempting to attack him. He ran backwards, noting it had a giant forklift-style front half, perfect for throwing intruders off.

Mario avoided its next assault, realizing it had trouble turning. He went to pull out the screws from the back, but realized it was too well made for that. He wall-jumped away as it turned to attack again, and decided that leaving it would be the healthiest option. He ran around the corner it had come from, seeing the next way up. A large, metal cube stood in the corner, with a pathway jutting up high on his right. the only way he could reach it would be to drag the cube across... he ran forward, climbing on top in time to reach the safety on top of the cube, as the clockwork menace circled him like a shark. Another problem to deal with...

The plumber jumped down, pushing his feet against the wall and his hands against the cube. He heaved, as it began to slowly slide towards the pathway. While still pushing, the robot came at him, using its flat end to knock him flying. The sky was below him, and then the ground slammed up, as Mario winced in pain. He was still on the tower, fortunately, but had to retreat to the top of the cube to avoid being sent flying again. This wasn't going to work... He thought for a little, and then decided what to do. He leaped forward, the little machine following him as he did. He ran directly under the pathway, before turning around and running backwards, over the machine. It spun to reach him, now facing away from the path. Perfect... Mario stood still, as it came to attack him, and flipped its tray again. Mario flew behind it, landing on the edge of the platform, just as he had hoped. With another challenge solved, he ran up the brick steps, reaching the summit he had landed on at the beginning.

The purple monster waited him, ready for a rematch. Mario's feet seemed to dance across the floor, as he dodged and got behind the beast. He heaved, muscles straining, as he lifted the entire weight of the beast, before throwing it across the floor. Crushed by its own weight, the purple monster bellowed, as it was knocked unconscious. Mario adjusted his hat triumphantly, gazing across the open wall of the tower.

The view that awaited him was a sprawling vista, the sun sparkling across the still water. He realized the water was little more than a moat for the tower, although still an ocean for him. Visible on all four sides were solid grey walls, forming a cubicle for this part of the world. It made a kind of sense, if the inhabitants of this world were to control the water for the entire world, problems would arise. He guessed that the walls split up the world into smaller sections, so that water could be managed for each individual resident. But if that were true, then this massive tower was only one house...? He shook his head. It didn't matter, as long as he found the remaining power stars and freed Bowser's control over this place; all of his questions could wait. Assuming any inhabitants were left, that was; he hadn't seen a sign that anyone had lived here in an age, only the remnants of their technology.

He continued forward, testing a floating stone pathway that led forward from the tower's summit. He ran across the thin walkway, avoiding more electric balls as he reached a larger circular platform, above the center of the world. He stood on to get a better look, as it began to spin fast. He held on to his hat, having more trouble seeing the electric balls as he tried to find the next path. Two openings- one with an all-too-familiar question marked block, and one that seemed to lead nowhere. He ran for the block, staggering as he began to get dizzy. Bzzert! He fell down, as another electric shock coursed through his body. Mario groaned, getting shocked once more on his way to the block. He finally reached that platform, leaping as carefully as he could manage. True enough; the block contained the second star of this visit, causing him to strike a pose. Mario grinned despite his weariness, noticing a cannon port on the other block he had missed.

A quick run through the spinning platform, and he was in. Mario squeezed the lever inside, angling the cannon higher, until his sights were set. That cage was obviously designed to keep someone out, and had the dirty Koop King's marks all over it. Never one for subtlety, the cages he had erected didn't match a single material in this world, and achieved nothing but to make traveling through here difficult... it seemed obvious he had made them, as no normal citizen would use something like this. He aimed just a little higher, sure to land within that cage, and fired. Soaring through the air, the breeze whistling past his ears, Mario never noticed his friend...

On the other side of the world, the small blue creature was climbing steadily up, its suction-cupped legs allowing it to climb the sheer bars. It had just reached the very top, when it saw Mario fly towards the open roof of the cage... Thin legs caught around the portly plumber in mid-flight, dragging him down, as they crashed into the water together. Mario struggled, as the blue creature dived down and swam away. He sighed, winded, but still inside the cage like he had hoped. Below him lay a diving hole, that could lead anywhere. He breathed heavily, grabbed some coins near the entrance, and regained his stamina. For a plumber, he sure got knocked around a lot... maybe time for a less dangerous career change, like bear wrestler, he thought.

Mario dived down, instantly losing his sense of direction. Stone walls surrounded him on all sides, a circular tube curving away. If it wasn't for the yellow arrows helpfully painted along the bottom, he mused, Mario would have been lost. He swam for what felt like an age, lungs beginning to burn again. He swept past the new area that opened out, blindly breaking for the surface first. And so he didn't see his new location until he looked down, and was already above it all.

An underwater city awaited him, filled with buildings, a courtyard, and even a small castle at the far end. The water was clearer than glass, allowing him to see every detail, right down to the blades of grass and doors in each building... He held his breath in wonder, amazed at the sight. The place was deserted; it's people a mystery to him. He gazed for a moment longer, looking for any signs of a power star here. After several dives down, he confirmed the place was empty, besides his blue friend, who had run ahead, and was glaring from a corner of the roof. Only then did he realize he was inside, as there was sky visible here at all. The light must be made somehow, like the amazing technology that controlled water. Speaking of which, Mario noticed one of those diamonds hovering on the ground.

He swam down, changing the water level to ankle-height, as he sloshed through the town. The courtyard seemed empty, although the trees and plants seemed to be growing just fine, bizarrely. A few quick jumps landed him on the walls of the yard, giving him a better view. Two oddly out of place bricks sat on top of the marble walls, catching his eye. Mario quickly destroyed the two with pounds, revealing shiny red coins. The next power star was split into 8 red coins then, like some of the others he had found. All he had to do was find the remaining six, and the point where the star would form, and it was his. Mario climbed through the tower, checking the corners around buildings. As he expected, they weren't easy to find, but most were simple enough.

He successfully liberated a further four more coins, from searching the tops of buildings around town. Mario grinned at his progress, checking the trees along the side of town next. When that proved fruitless, the castle seemed as good a place as any, so he set off for that, stumbling across the silhouette of a purple navy-blue star at its entrance. Perfect! He leaped nimbly across the roof of the castle, climbing up a pole that led to a stone walkway above town. He saw another diamond, that presumably brought the water back above the town if he chose. Mario decided against that, weighing the dangers of drowning against the benefits of swimming above the terrain freely. Besides, his moustache was only just beginning to feel dry and bushy against his face again.

Mario continued across the walkway, finding one more coin up there, before leaping down to a rooftop. His shoes clacked loudly against the tiles, as he searched. He thought he saw movement out of his eye, but that might have been his imagination. Eventually he discovered the last one, hiding in a corner of town behind an old building, perhaps a church from its shape. A shining light briefly lit up, with the sound of the star reforming on the other side of town. Mario trotted off, eager to claim his latest prize, another step closer to reaching the Princess. On his way there, near a now-dried up fountain, he heard a scuffling sound. Behind him stood the blue creature, defiantly staring him down again. It seemed larger, as it wrapped its legs across as much of the building behind it as it could. Mario tensed, ready for another attack from the thing, which never came.

They stared for a moment, both expecting to fight. Then, Mario noticed the little thing was trembling, already worn out... He realized it was trying to protect as much of the building behind it as he could, placing itself in between Mario and any buildings he faced...He was trying to protect this place from Mario.

He suddenly realized his mistake. Bowser had invaded, and filled the world with his usual traps and minions, all to hide the castle's power stars... but Mario had landed in straight after, and was just as foreign to this place. He must seem like one of the bad guys here to anyone... this thing was probably a pet that was just trying to protect its home. He walked away, taking the power star and returning to the castle without a word. Mario vowed to return later for the remaining ones, at least when the little guy wasn't so scared. Hopefully his absence for a while, and the present he had left, would help change its mind by the time Mario returned. He strode out of the castle's hallways, inspecting the floor for another painting he could enter, finding one that looked like a snowy mountain...

Back in Wet-Dry world, the small blue friend he had made beamed, confused but happy. The intruder had fled without harming anything, and had even left him something. He scooted across the water, small ripples following him across the surface, pleased with the feel of the soft, white glove he now wore as a hat.

A/N: Had this one in mind for ages, and only just replayed that part of the game to write it properly. Yes, I did take a few liberties (Mario starts off in the water, not the tower, and the tower itself is slightly different), but all of them were for a better flowing story, and nothing blatantly changed. Let me know what you think, reviews, favorites, and watches are like candy to me ^^


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